Making A Difference Together
At the beginning of the year, we
surveyed our readers to find out what they would like to read in our magazine.
Many of them wrote back with CSR- related questions. We put these to the
representatives of two corporate foundations – Pearl Tiwari, President (CSR and Sustainability) and Director, Ambuja Cement
Foundation and Vartika Bhatewar, Manager, CSR at Rohan
Builders, Pune. – Interviewed by Meher Gandevia-Billimoria
surveyed our readers to find out what they would like to read in our magazine.
Many of them wrote back with CSR- related questions. We put these to the
representatives of two corporate foundations – Pearl Tiwari, President (CSR and Sustainability) and Director, Ambuja Cement
Foundation and Vartika Bhatewar, Manager, CSR at Rohan
Builders, Pune. – Interviewed by Meher Gandevia-Billimoria
What are the priority areas/chief
causes of your company’s CSR program? On what basis were they selected?
causes of your company’s CSR program? On what basis were they selected?
Pearl: Ambuja Cements Limited (ACL) conducts its CSR
activities through its CSR arm – Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF). ACL’s
plants operate mainly in rural geographies and ACF conducts its CSR activities
in the communities neighbouring its plants. The community is placed as the
primary stakeholder in the plant’s activities and is thus an important
determinant of the company’s CSR programme.
activities through its CSR arm – Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF). ACL’s
plants operate mainly in rural geographies and ACF conducts its CSR activities
in the communities neighbouring its plants. The community is placed as the
primary stakeholder in the plant’s activities and is thus an important
determinant of the company’s CSR programme.
Over the years, the organization has
evolved a strategic sustainable approach by which it designs its development
programmes through participatory needs assessments and empowers communities to
be stakeholders in their own sustainable development. ACF’s communities and its
stakeholders participate in identifying issues and evolving solutions in a
systematic and continuous manner. Based on this approach, ACF’s activities
are classified under our major thrust areas of Water Resource Management,
Livelihoods (including Skill Development) and Socio-Economic Development.
evolved a strategic sustainable approach by which it designs its development
programmes through participatory needs assessments and empowers communities to
be stakeholders in their own sustainable development. ACF’s communities and its
stakeholders participate in identifying issues and evolving solutions in a
systematic and continuous manner. Based on this approach, ACF’s activities
are classified under our major thrust areas of Water Resource Management,
Livelihoods (including Skill Development) and Socio-Economic Development.
Vartika: The priority
areas of our CSR initiatives are several and varied. These include eradicating
hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting preventive health care and
sanitation, promoting special education and vocational skills especially among
children and the differently-abled, animal welfare, protection of our national
heritage, art and culture through the restoration of buildings and sites of
historical importance and works of art, and
areas of our CSR initiatives are several and varied. These include eradicating
hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting preventive health care and
sanitation, promoting special education and vocational skills especially among
children and the differently-abled, animal welfare, protection of our national
heritage, art and culture through the restoration of buildings and sites of
historical importance and works of art, and
combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
We opted to support these causes
because of our management’s interest and passion, needs assessments, and ours
or the implementing agency’s expertise in achieving the desired outcome. Our
links with the stakeholders was also a factor in our choice.
because of our management’s interest and passion, needs assessments, and ours
or the implementing agency’s expertise in achieving the desired outcome. Our
links with the stakeholders was also a factor in our choice.
2. Is there another excellent
program or cause that was recommended or considered that doesn’t fall within your core areas?
program or cause that was recommended or considered that doesn’t fall within your core areas?
Pearl: Skill training facilities in semi-urban and urban
communities. Skill training is an urgent need, vital to livelihood and income
generation in the country. ACF has 16 Skill and Entrepreneurship Development
Institutes (SEDIs), which are all located in rural areas, near our plant
locations. However, though it is outside our core area, it is essential to
expand such institutes to semi-urban and urban geographies to meet the shortfall
in these regions.
communities. Skill training is an urgent need, vital to livelihood and income
generation in the country. ACF has 16 Skill and Entrepreneurship Development
Institutes (SEDIs), which are all located in rural areas, near our plant
locations. However, though it is outside our core area, it is essential to
expand such institutes to semi-urban and urban geographies to meet the shortfall
in these regions.
Vartika: We select our programs after very careful consideration
of the cause, the beneficiaries, the impact that is being created, and
mechanisms to monitor and report the input and outcome. However, if a new cause
requires urgent attention and resources, for example, floods or other natural
disasters, we would certainly take it up.
of the cause, the beneficiaries, the impact that is being created, and
mechanisms to monitor and report the input and outcome. However, if a new cause
requires urgent attention and resources, for example, floods or other natural
disasters, we would certainly take it up.
3. How does your foundation
keep abreast of compliance requirements? What channels do you use, internally
and externally?
keep abreast of compliance requirements? What channels do you use, internally
and externally?
Pearl: ACF works closely with various ACL departments such as
Internal Accounts, Secretarial, Finance, Legal and Internal Audit to meet its
compliance requirements. ACF also has its own internal Compliance Executive to
manage these requirements. Additionally, ACF’s activities are audited by its
internal accounts team, the ACL Internal Audit team and also an external audit
agency.
Internal Accounts, Secretarial, Finance, Legal and Internal Audit to meet its
compliance requirements. ACF also has its own internal Compliance Executive to
manage these requirements. Additionally, ACF’s activities are audited by its
internal accounts team, the ACL Internal Audit team and also an external audit
agency.
Vartika: As an organisation
we are very sincere about compliance; whether it is related to environment
issues, labour laws or our CSR. We want to and have adopted best practices
internally (we recently received the CIDC award and have also received a 7-star
Eco Ratings for two of our projects). As CSR compliance is a new arena, we have
availed of CAP’s expertise and they have helped us every step of the way. They
make sure that our activities reflect our intentions.
we are very sincere about compliance; whether it is related to environment
issues, labour laws or our CSR. We want to and have adopted best practices
internally (we recently received the CIDC award and have also received a 7-star
Eco Ratings for two of our projects). As CSR compliance is a new arena, we have
availed of CAP’s expertise and they have helped us every step of the way. They
make sure that our activities reflect our intentions.
4. What is your ‘risk
appetite’ for projects? How do you manage risks while collaborating with
implementing agencies?
appetite’ for projects? How do you manage risks while collaborating with
implementing agencies?
Pearl: ACF is the implementing agency for all its activities,
and with a staff of over 450 development professionals it can afford a good
risk appetite for its projects. ACF receives a substantial amount of its funds
from ACL which is a legitimate profit-making company and therefore has capacity
to undertake risks for sake of innovation.
and with a staff of over 450 development professionals it can afford a good
risk appetite for its projects. ACF receives a substantial amount of its funds
from ACL which is a legitimate profit-making company and therefore has capacity
to undertake risks for sake of innovation.
For example, in order to address the
salinity ingress problem in Gujarat, ACF undertook the interlinking of canals
in the Ambujanagar area. Interlinking of canals, while not a tried and tested
methodology in salinity mitigation, seemed to be a technically viable solution
and our community had faith in its benefits. ACF lent an ear to traditional
wisdom and combined it with technical expertise to channelize water from
flooded areas and harvested pits to other pits through seasonal canals, thus increasing
the local population’s access to irrigation facilities, land under cultivation
and an improved water table, checking salinity ingress.
salinity ingress problem in Gujarat, ACF undertook the interlinking of canals
in the Ambujanagar area. Interlinking of canals, while not a tried and tested
methodology in salinity mitigation, seemed to be a technically viable solution
and our community had faith in its benefits. ACF lent an ear to traditional
wisdom and combined it with technical expertise to channelize water from
flooded areas and harvested pits to other pits through seasonal canals, thus increasing
the local population’s access to irrigation facilities, land under cultivation
and an improved water table, checking salinity ingress.
ACF has successfully conducted similar experiments, maximizing our
communities’ access to sanitation and creating Open Defecation Free (ODF)
villages in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.
communities’ access to sanitation and creating Open Defecation Free (ODF)
villages in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.
Vartika: As an
organisation, we do the required due diligence of the implementing agency and
also try to partner with established agencies in order to make sure that we
achieve our CSR goals. We don’t take w.r.t
achieving the outcome, however, we are open to taking risks in terms of the
cause that we select. For example, for International Women’s Day 2016, we did a
whole social media campaign around menstruation, emphasising the fact that it
is not a taboo or an illness and that women should not be socially isolated
when they have their monthly period. We addressed a lot of social taboos around
menstruation and promoted the use of pads for sanitary reasons.
organisation, we do the required due diligence of the implementing agency and
also try to partner with established agencies in order to make sure that we
achieve our CSR goals. We don’t take w.r.t
achieving the outcome, however, we are open to taking risks in terms of the
cause that we select. For example, for International Women’s Day 2016, we did a
whole social media campaign around menstruation, emphasising the fact that it
is not a taboo or an illness and that women should not be socially isolated
when they have their monthly period. We addressed a lot of social taboos around
menstruation and promoted the use of pads for sanitary reasons.
5. Are your employees and
stakeholders engaged enough in your CSR initiatives? How do you ensure this?
stakeholders engaged enough in your CSR initiatives? How do you ensure this?
Pearl: ACF was established with a mission to ‘Energise, involve and enable communities to
realize their potential’ and its approach is to conduct program
activities in close engagement with its stakeholders. This approach has been
adapted to build community ownership in the CSR projects and make them
sustainable in the long term.
realize their potential’ and its approach is to conduct program
activities in close engagement with its stakeholders. This approach has been
adapted to build community ownership in the CSR projects and make them
sustainable in the long term.
ACF also facilitates a volunteerism
programme to engage ACL employees in CSR activities. Employees lend their
technical expertise and their precious time to help ACF facilitate Community
Safety Initiatives, create HIV/AIDS awareness and provide guidance to students
at SEDI.
programme to engage ACL employees in CSR activities. Employees lend their
technical expertise and their precious time to help ACF facilitate Community
Safety Initiatives, create HIV/AIDS awareness and provide guidance to students
at SEDI.
Vartika: Over the years our employees have shown good intent by
donating to causes like the Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fund and by participating
in activities like painting a crèche for children of migrant construction
workers. We have the right values, however, now we are coming up with a plan to
streamline employee volunteering and make it a part of ‘Rohan culture’. Our
management will be involved in promoting, facilitating and appreciating
(through awards) this culture.
donating to causes like the Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fund and by participating
in activities like painting a crèche for children of migrant construction
workers. We have the right values, however, now we are coming up with a plan to
streamline employee volunteering and make it a part of ‘Rohan culture’. Our
management will be involved in promoting, facilitating and appreciating
(through awards) this culture.
6. Has your company been
involved with CSR prior to it being mandated by law? What drives you to do CSR
beyond legislation?
involved with CSR prior to it being mandated by law? What drives you to do CSR
beyond legislation?
Pearl: ACF was founded over 2 decades ago, in 1993, to initiate
development activities in communities and villages neighbouring ACL’s plants.
The founding principle of ACF has been to empower the host communities with
productive livelihood resources and to create and reinforce institutions, so
that they prosper at the same rate as ACL. It was the ethos of ACL’s founding
management that our community becomes a partner in our business and is
empowered to grow in a sustainable manner. This philosophy has consistently
driven ACL’s CSR initiatives beyond legislation and is reflected in
strengthened people’s institutions like Farmer Producer Companies, Women’s
Federations, Water User Associations, Village Health and Sanitation Committees
and the like.
development activities in communities and villages neighbouring ACL’s plants.
The founding principle of ACF has been to empower the host communities with
productive livelihood resources and to create and reinforce institutions, so
that they prosper at the same rate as ACL. It was the ethos of ACL’s founding
management that our community becomes a partner in our business and is
empowered to grow in a sustainable manner. This philosophy has consistently
driven ACL’s CSR initiatives beyond legislation and is reflected in
strengthened people’s institutions like Farmer Producer Companies, Women’s
Federations, Water User Associations, Village Health and Sanitation Committees
and the like.
Vartika: We define CSR
as giving our customers good quality
homes; a good and challenging work environment for our employees; following
environmentally sound practices; and donating and bringing our expertise to
those who need help. So, yes, we have been involved in CSR since our existence.
It is this thought process that guides us to do CSR beyond legislation.
as giving our customers good quality
homes; a good and challenging work environment for our employees; following
environmentally sound practices; and donating and bringing our expertise to
those who need help. So, yes, we have been involved in CSR since our existence.
It is this thought process that guides us to do CSR beyond legislation.
7. How has mandatory CSR
legislation changed the way you conduct CSR?
legislation changed the way you conduct CSR?
Pearl: The mandatory CSR law has not really changed the way we
conduct our CSR activities. However, we have organised our reporting structure
and documentation methods to comply with the requirements of the Schedule VII
of the law. This has increased our association with the internal accounts and
audits department of ACL. What the mandatory legislation has done is that it
has freed up dedicated funds for CSR.
conduct our CSR activities. However, we have organised our reporting structure
and documentation methods to comply with the requirements of the Schedule VII
of the law. This has increased our association with the internal accounts and
audits department of ACL. What the mandatory legislation has done is that it
has freed up dedicated funds for CSR.
Vartika: Earlier, we never set aside any amount for CSR, we would
take up activities as and when we heard about a cause. The new Act also brings
a professional approach to conducting CSR by way of having specified project
outcomes and reporting requirements.
take up activities as and when we heard about a cause. The new Act also brings
a professional approach to conducting CSR by way of having specified project
outcomes and reporting requirements.
To know more about our CSR offerings contact connect@capindia.in